For Always
by Ky Hakubi
Summary: Naruto sinks into a depression only Hinata can pull him out of. Complete!
1. Return From Despair

Disclaimer: Don't own it, wish I did.

For Always

Part One: Return From Despair

It's been three years since Naruto's return from training with Jiraiya. Three years since rescuing Gaara of the Sand from Akatsuki. Three years since the encounter with Orochimaru and Sasuke. It's been a month since his final encounter with the Village Hidden in the Sound. A month since he was forced to kill the friend he had promised to save.

The war with the Sound had progressed rapidly in those three years and Orochimaru had made a desperate bid at Konoha. Naruto was pitted against the Uchiha that had betrayed them five years past, and he was forced to kill him. He had broken his promise of a lifetime in order to save the village and friends he loved. He had ended the war, but the cost was high.

Sakura was devastated. She never left her house anymore. Naruto was consumed with guilt for destroying his two closest friends lives. He wash spiraling into depression, his usual upbeat façade shattered. He rarely went out anymore. He barely talked to his friends. He hadn't shown up at Ichiraku in days, and Hinata was becoming worried.

"Um.. Excuse me, but uh.. Have you seen Naruto?" she meekly asked the owner. "No, can't say that I have. He's not been by for a week or so. Business has dropped since then. He was my best customer. He might be out on a mission though. Sorry I couldn't help." "Oh, thank you." Hinata bowed and quickly left. This only egged her worry on. Naruto usually bragged about missions with that mischievous grin she loved so much. Maybe he was sick? She had never seen him with so much as a cough before, but there was a first time for everything. Three days later she had mustered up the courage to go to his house.

Naruto heard a knock at his door. "Who's there?" he asked, not wanting visitors. "Um.. It's Hinata." He smiled to himself. '_Alright, maybe one visitor._' He opened the door for her. Hinata blushed a fierce crimson. He was only wearing a pair of loose sweatpants. She had trouble taking her eyes off of his chiseled torso. "Huh?" He noticed her stare and grin sheepishly. "Oh yeah, heh heh. I'll go get a shirt. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable." Hinata could only nod, not trusting herself to speak.

She sat down on the couch while he went to his room. Except for a few raman packs, his house was clean. "Ahhh damn!" Naruto yelled, followed by a loud crash. Hinata ran into the room hoping he was okay. He sat on the floor scratching his head. His feet where tangled up in a discarded shirt and he had knocked over his lamp. He saw her and put on a stupid grin. "Well, I must be in the Ninja Hall of Shame right now. _Uzumaki Naruto. Future Hokage. Tripped Over Shirt. Expelled From Konoha for Lack of Coordination." _They shared a laugh.

He untangled himself from the clutz trap and sat on the bed, a tired look in his eyes. He motioned for Hinata to join him. "So, what brings you around Hinata-chan?" She blushed and twiddled her fingers. "Well, I uh, was worried Naruto-kun." "Worried? What for? I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I'm gonna be Hokage someday. You don't need to worry about me." He saw the concern in her eyes and dropped his act. "You shouldn't worry about me. It would be a waste of your time. I'm not a proud failure. I'm just a failure. I made a promise to Sakura-chan. The promise of a lifetime. I don't go back on my word. That was my nindo. I was going to bring Sasuke-teme back, but I killed him instead. I broke my nindo, and may as well have killed Sakura-chan as well. I hear she hasn't left her house since I brought his body back. You should have seen the look in her eyes. It destroyed her Hinata-chan. I gave her that pain. It's all my fault." He put his head in his hands with tears in his eyes, but unable to let out the despair. "It's not your fault Naruto-kun!"

He looked up in surprise at the strength of her statement. "You killed Sasuke to protect Konoha. You did it to protect us, to save the village. If you hadn't, many more lives would have been lost." She looked at her hands. "You would have been lost." she finished quietly. She looked back at him. "Sakura-chan needs time to grieve, but she'll be okay with time. She'll smile again."

Naruto couldn't share her optimism. "Yeah she'll get better, and hate me like everyone else in Konoha." "That's not true." Naruto was amazed at the strength coming from shy little Hinata. "Iruka-sensei cares about you. Tsunade hokage-sama cares about you. So do the rest of us. Shikamaru-kun, Ino-chan, Chouji-kun, Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, Lee-kun, Tenten-chan, Neji-kun. Me. We all care about you Naruto-kun." Naruto still wasn't convinced. "Right. Like anyone would care about me." He got up and stood in the middle of the room. "If you knew the truth, you wouldn't even want to be around me." Hinata was getting fed up with his self loathing. "Tell me the truth then Naruto-kun. Let me decide."

Naruto gave in. Who cares who knew about it now. "Alright Hinata-chan. You know about the demon Kyuubi and his attack of Konoha about eighteen years ago. You know the Fourth Hokage defeated the Nine-tails. What you don't know is that he didn't kill it." He paused, not wanting to continue now that he had started. He gritted his teeth and pushed forward. "He sealed it away. Sealed it inside the body of an infant." He lifted his shirt and channeled some chakra revealing the seal on his stomach. "He sealed it inside me." Hinata could only stare in shock as everything fell into place. The villagers' unspoken contempt of Naruto. His victory over Neji. His amazing healing ability. His huge chakra pool. It was the demon.

"So, when you die, so does the Kyuubi. He couldn't kill it right out, so he did this. He sacrificed himself and you to save Konoha." She looked into his eyes, not caring about what was sealed inside of him. She knew who and what Naruto was, and a demon he was not. The pain and suffering he must have gone through growing up, her turmoil was nothing compared to that. Her own pain at thinking she would never have the confidence to tell Naruto how she felt seemed inconsequential next to what he went through. She walked over to him and kissed him with all she had. Her Naruto was suffering and she wouldn't allow it anymore.

"I love you Naruto-kun," she whispered to him. "You're still the same person I fell in love with years ago." "I love you too Hinata-chan." She kissed him again as his tears fell.

Darkness had fallen. Hinata held Naruto's sleeping body, giving him the comfort he had desperately needed. She ran a hand through his unruly blonde hair and smiled contently. She had finally told him, and he had returned her love. "I love you Naruto-kun," she whispered. "For always."

End part one.


	2. Revelation of Life

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Sucks to be me.

For Always

Part Two: Revelation of Life

"You're pregnant Hinata-chan." Tsunade told the young Hyuga. Hinata smiled and rubbed her abdomen. She and Naruto had been dating for a few months now. They had consummated their relationship a week prior, and Hinata was sure she was with child. This visit to the Fifth Hokage had certified that feeling.

She leaned back on the examination table and giggled happily. 'I'm carrying Naruto-kun's child.' she thought. She wouldn't have it any other way. "Hinata-chan, may I ask who the father is?" "Naruto-kun." she said with her happy grin firmly in place.

"So," Tsunade moved closer to the young woman. "Was he good?" Hinata responded before the question sank in. "It was wonderful… Oh!" A deep blush won the fight with her smile for domination of her expression.

Tsunade adopted a more serious look. "Have you told Naruto-kun that you might be pregnant yet?" Hinata shook her head. "Not yet. I wanted to wait until I was certain." Tsunade nodded in agreement. "I plan on telling him tonight though. I'm just worried about Father. He already disapproves of our relationship. What will he do when he finds out about this?" Hinata hugged her stomach protectively. "I'm not giving our child up."

Tsunade smiled at the change that had come over the Hyuga. Dating Naruto had had quite a positive effect on Hinata's confidence. She hadn't stuttered for days, and was beginning to assert herself more. Naruto had calmed considerably as well. "Don't worry about your father. I'll have a talk with that hard ass. He'll see things my way, and if he doesn't, well, you can always move in with Naruto-kun."

"Tsunade-sama?" "Yes?" Hinata was hesitant to continue. "Um, well. Naruto-kun told me something about the Kyuubi." Tsunade saw where this was going, but to be safe asked "What about the Kyuubi?" "Well, he told me it wasn't killed. He said it was sealed inside somebody, like what happened to Gaara from Sunagakure." Tsunade proceeded carefully. "Did he tell you who it was sealed in?" Hinata nodded. Tsunade decided to have out with it. "You can tell me. I know exactly what happened, and I am hokage after all" Tsunade finished with a smile. Hinata smiled in turn, the older woman's grin infectious. It didn't last though. "He said it was sealed inside of him. He showed me the seal." "And is this giving you second thoughts to your relationship with him?" Hinata shock her head fiercely. "No! He told me about it before I ever told him how I feel. If anything, I love him more. Having a burden like that, never having any friends because of it, or even someone to look at him without hatred, and yet he tried his hardest for this village. He ignored the hatred to be one of the strongest shinobi we have. His strength and confidence have always been traits I admire about him. His unwavering belief that he could do anything, and nothing would keep him down. He is so much stronger than even I thought he was. A lesser man would have broken long ago. How can I not love him for it?"

Tsunade fought back tears overjoyed that someone loved Naruto with all their heart, seeing past the demon sealed within him. "Don't worry Hinata-chan. If anyone wants to come between you and Naruto-kun, they'll have to go through me." Hinata bowed. "Thank you Tsunade-sama. I think I should go know. I have to ell my Naruto-kun about our child." The young woman left with her head held high, humming a happy tune.

"Now," Tsunade grumbled. "Time to talk sense to a rock. Naruto-kun, You're gonna owe me big for this headache," she grumbled as she headed toward the Hyuga compound.

-ooo-

"You're pregnant!" Hinata couldn't read the expression on Naruto's face and became worried, thinking he might be angry or upset. Instead he let out a woop of joy, picked her up, and spun about the room. After about three revolutions he set her back down and kissed her passionately. "You're gonna be a great mother," he said softly, nuzzling her cheek. Hinata put her face into his neck and began to cry.

He felt the tears on his neck as her body trembled in his arms. "Hina-chan, are you okay?" he asked, pulling her away to look into her eyes. "I couldn't be happier Naruto-kun." She kissed him deeply and guided him to the couch.

"I think I'll take a shower," Hinata said after a couple hours of 'couch-time'. Naruto watched her figure appreciatively as she walked toward the bathroom. She turned to him when she got to the door, a light blush on her face. "What's wrong my love. Aren't you coming?" She leapt into his arms as he walked over to join her, wrapping her legs about him as he carried her into the bathroom kissing her the whole way.

End part 2


	3. Happy Times, Happy Questions

Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm not that lucky.

For Always

Part Three: Happy Times, Happy Questions

True to her word, Tsunade made Hyuga Hiashi realize nothing would stop Hinata from seeing Naruto. He couldn't deny his daughters newfound confidence in herself. It made him proud that she was becoming a strong woman, no longer hiding herself or her opinion. She still stepped lightly around him, but even that was fading quickly. And, as much as he hated to admit it, the boy was turning into an upstanding member of Konoha, no longer looking for trouble and yelling about everything.

After a long chastising conversation with the Fifth Hokage, he 'decided' to allow his daughter to continue seeing the boy. Tsunade almost had to box his ears to let Hinata move in with the former prankster.

-ooo-

Hinata made a quick check of the food simmering in front of her. "Dinner is almost ready Naruto-kun," she announced to the blonde man standing behind her. She threw a glance over her shoulder to her boyfriend. He was leaning in the doorway of the kitchen and watching her every move, silently enjoying the way her body moved. It was an effort of will for him to not come into the kitchen and look at what was cooking, or interrupt Hinata with his loving nuzzling. He had, after all, promised not to enter the room.

Granted, she had seduced the promise out of him, ever so slightly grazing her lips across his own until he caved, but a promise was a promise. At least he could stand here and watch her. He loved watching her lithe body move and she knew it. Hinata took it upon herself to test her lover's honor.

After a few minutes of cooking she had discreetly mentioned how hot it was in there and removed her blouse, leaving only a silken undershirt to cover herself which she flapped a few times to generate a breeze. All this while pointedly ignoring the man in the doorway. She enjoyed the hungry look in his eyes, knowing full well it wasn't the food he wanted. 'Well, maybe just a little bit is for the food,' she amended in her thoughts.

It amused her sometimes at how much she had changed over the months. She had Naruto to thank for it all. "Dinner's done. Would you be so kind as to set the table Naruto-kun?" she asked as she started to put her blouse back on. She giggled as he sighed disappointedly as she did up her buttons. "Sure thing Hina-chan!" 'I was hoping she would have forgotten about her shirt,' he thought to himself.

"That was great," Naruto complimented, patting his stomach. Hinata walked around behind him and snaked her arms around his neck. "Why thank you Naruto-kun," she whispered while nibbling on his ear. "Time to clean up." Naruto kissed her and started to gather up the dishes. They spent the rest of the night holding each other, cuddling in silence. They fell asleep, cradled in each other's arms.

-ooo-

Naruto and Hinata walked through the park arm in arm. "Sure is a nice day out Hina-chan." She murmured in affirmation as she lead him to some shade beneath a tree. Naruto sat against the tree and Hinata sat with her back against him, her head on his chest. He nuzzled her head and breathed in the scent of her hair. "Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" he asked rubbing her swollen belly affectionately. Hinata shrugged. "I don't know. As long as our child is healthy, that's all that matters to me Naruto-kun." Naruto smiled, still reveling in thoughts of fatherhood. "I'm gonna be the best dad in the universe!" Hinata smiled and cuddled closer.

They had a nice nap beneath that tree. Naruto was the first to wake and contented himself with listening to his girlfriends steady breathing. "What time is it?" she asked, coming out of a dream that left her blushing. "It's getting late. I'd say about eight or nine," he answered, running a hand through her silken hair. "As much as I hate the thought of getting up, we should probably head home." His stomach grumbled, changing his thoughts quickly. "Scratch that, we can go by Ichiraku, then home." Hinata could only giggle at his predictability. "I was expecting that. Alright Naruto-kun, lets go get some raman."

-ooo-

Naruto had trouble sleeping that night, unable to clear his mind. He decided to ask Tsunade for advice in the morning. He kissed the back of Hinata's neck and breathed in her scent, the smell of her hair and body long ago topping off his list of favorite things.

"Good night Hina-chan," he whispered quietly. He rubbed her belly where their child was growing. "Good night my child." After a few more minutes, sleep finally took him.

-ooo-

Tsunade heard a knock at the door. She groaned at the noise, nursing a hangover. "Come in," she said loud enough for whoever was outside to hear. It was still too loud. She groaned again as none other than Uzumaki Naruto, loudmouth and braggart extraordinaire of Konohagakure, walked into her office. She got her aspirin ready.

"Am I disturbing you Hokage-sama?" he asked quietly. Her jaw hit the floor. Who was this standing before her? Was it actually Naruto? And if it was, did he actually _ask_ for something, _politely_? "I must be drunk, unconscious or delusional, none of which sound very appealing right now. Well, a few drinks wouldn't hurt." She realized he was waiting for an answer. She decided to let it go. "Uh, no. What's on your mind Naruto-kun?" He took a breath. "I need some advice. It's about Hina-chan." She kept her expression neutral. "And what about Hinata-chan?" Naruto took another breath to steady himself. "I want to ask her to marry me." Tsunade gritted her teeth. "Naruto, if this is one of your pranks, I will kill you." He looked her in the eye, a bit off balance. "I'm not joking. I want her to marry me. Naruto didn't know how long they stood there till Tsunade finally broke the silence. "So, when are you going to propose?" she asked smiling. "That's why I need some advice. I mean, how should I ask her? WHERE should I ask her? What if she says no…?" He said the last in barley a whisper. Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto who faced the dreaded missing nins of the Mist. Naruto who charged through the chuunin exams. Naruto who overcame the genius of the Hyuga clan. Naruto who faced Gaara of the Sand and Shukaku. Naruto who went into every challenge with relish and unwavering confidence. Naruto was actually afraid. Tsunade put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Listen up, cause I'm only going to say this once…"

-ooo-

Two days later Naruto stood by Hinata as the maitre d went through his list. "Ah, Uzumaki. Yes your table is this way." Tsunade had pulled a few strings to get him a reservation at one of the fanciest restaurants in Konoha. She also sent him to an upscale men's ware shop to get a good suit. She was footing for both bills.

The suit he wore was black with a crimson vest and tie. Hinata was wearing a stunning silk-of-silver gown that complimented her figure nicely, accessorized with a matching hand bag, silvery elbow length gloves, a pair of silver and diamond earrings, and a silver necklace with a sapphire pendant. He noticed a lot of stares pointed in their direction, but most where in awe of the radiant figure Hinata made. He rarely got glares anymore. His efforts to save Konoha months earlier had not gone unnoticed this time. It was no longer a rarity to get a friendly greeting from a random passerby now.

Partway into their dinner Naruto excused himself and went to the bathroom. "Alright Uzumaki," he told his reflection. "You're gonna go out there and ask Hina-chan to marry you!" Charged by his little pep talk he returned to his date. He waited for the violinist to finish a piece by Mozart before standing and tapping on his water glass sending a chime throughout the restaurant. Everyone looked his way.

"Sorry for the interruption everyone," he began politely. "I'll try to make this quick and let you all get back to your dinner. As I'm sure most of you know, I am Uzumaki Naruto and this beautiful woman accompanying me is Hyuga Hinata." There were a few murmurs. He reached into his pocket as he continued. "I've loved this woman for quite some time now and I don't know what I would do without her. In fact, I might not be standing here if it wasn't for her. She is also carrying my child, whom I cannot wait to hold in my arms." Hinata blushed and shifted nervously. "Hina-chan, I have something to ask you." He pulled his hand out of his pocket and kneeled before her. "Hyuga Hinata, will you marry me?" He held up a diamond ring that sparkled like a star in the candlelit restaurant. Hinata gasped as tears fell down her face. "Yes Naruto-kun!" she fell into his arms. "Yes I'll marry you!" He returned her embrace with tears of his own as the crowd clapped happily.

End part 3

A/N: Four more chapters are on the way! I have the story finished, but I have to type it up on the PC. Send reviews and tell me what you think so far. The ones I've received so far are very encouraging. Thanks for the support! I hope you like what follows.


	4. Invitations and Worries

Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm not that lucky.

For Always

Part Four: Invitations and Worries

Two months after the engagement and they had a date for the wedding. Naruto and Hinata got to work passing out the invitations.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto yelled, throwing the door to the classroom open. The chuunin instructor looked at him, startled by the sudden interruption to his class. "Uh, Naruto-kun, I'm in the middle of class. Could you come back in half an hour?" Naruto gave an enthusiastic "No! I'll be quick though, I want you to be my best man." A blank expression came over the older man's face. "Hello?" Naruto waved his hand in front of his old teacher's eyes. "Iruka-sensei?" Nothing. A smirk came over Naruto's face as he brought out the old hand seals. "Sexy Jutsu!" The class broke out into hysterics, Iruka didn't even flinch. Naruto was getting angry. He hated to be ignored. "Stupid old man," he mumbled under his breath. "Fine, I'll ask later," he grunted. He left a lavender on the desk and stormed out of the academy.

Outside the disgruntled demon host ran into the prodigy of the Hyuga clan. His day brightened immediately, as was inevitable with Uzumaki Naruto. Reaching into his pocket he produced another lavender envelope. "Oi, Neji," he greeted handing the invitation over. "Hope to see you there!" was all Naruto said before hunting down his next target. Neji opened the letter and read the contents.

_You Are Cordially Invited_

_To The Uzumaki, Hyuga Wedding_

_At 3:00 PM on July 30th_

Neji smiled. "I'll be there," he told the breeze.

-ooo-

"Hey Hina-chan," Naruto greeted his fiancé, giving here a quick kiss. "I got the invites out to Neji, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Shikamaru, Sakura-chan, and Fuzzy Brows." Hinata gave him a smile. "I gave them to Ino-san, Tenten-san, Shino-san, Kiba-san, Kurenai-sensei, Chouji-san, and told my family." Naruto ticked each name off in his head. "So that leaves… Tsunade-oba-chan, ero-Sennin, Gai-sensei, and Gaara and his siblings." Hinata nodded in conformation. "We can ask Tsunade-sama to send those to Gaara-sama tomorrow. For now, I think your late for your mission." Naruto blanched. "It's not like its that important. All I'm doing is escorting some old man to a neighboring village. I'm not really even gonna be leaving Konoha's borders!" Hinata patted his cheek. "Its still a mission Naruto-kun. If your going to be hokage, you can't brush off these things. You'll have to put up with worse. You would be the last one in any given fight. Learn patience while you can my love." Naruto just sighed in affirmation and kissed Hinata goodbye as he headed to his rendezvous.

-ooo-

Naruto returned from what he claimed was an almost fatal mission. "I didn't know what to do. I was escorting this old man, some dignitary from a small neighboring village," he informed Ayame at the Ichiraku stand between inhalations of raman. "It would have been a three day journey, but he walked so slow! It was the second day of the mission, and that's when it happened." He made a dramatic pause, building up the suspense before springing the life threatening obstacle on the pretty young woman, who was listening intently. "I RAN OUT OF RAMAN!" Her head almost hit the counter. 'What else should I expect from Naruto. This was more suspenseful than the time he told us about his first escort mission.' Naruto continued on about dirty old men who ate someone else's raman without so much as a polite request, completely missing the look on his friend's face. After a couple more rants, and several bowls of raman, Naruto decided it was time to head home.

-ooo-

It had taken a couple days to get an audience with Tsunade, but they had finally managed to get in. "Sorry for making you guys wait so long. There's been a lot of paper work lately. It seems everybody wants a meeting these days." Tsunade took a swallow from a coffee cup she had on her desk. Naruto suspected that the contents weren't caffeine related. "Anyway," she continued, "what can I do for you two?" Naruto handed her four invitations. "We want you to send three of these to Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. The other is for you." The seemingly young hokage nodded. "I'll send them out with the next dispatch to Sunagakure. I'm certain the kazekage and his family would love to attend. Gaara is quite fond of you, you know. He made quite a few inquiries on your well being after your… confrontation… with the Sound. Actually it was more like demanding a status report than a request… On second thought, I'll send them today." The Godaime didn't think it would be a good idea to make Gaara wait on the invitation, on the off chance he found out that she had it well before the correspondence went out. The happy young couple voiced their gratitude and left the hokage to finish her booze in relative peace. On their way out they heard a distinct 'damn paper work' from her office. They shared a laugh.

-ooo-

That night Naruto had trouble sleeping again. There was a lot of anticipation in the air about the wedding, and about his unborn child. Their wedding was two months away, and Hinata was due five months after. For all his boasts, Naruto was worried. What if he didn't make a good husband? What if he didn't make a good father? He had never known family, so how was he supposed to know what fathers did?

He had never had so many doubts nagging him. Not even Sasuke-teme had made him this worried. He knew he was going to bring the bastard Uchiha back, but he had failed in that. For all his outward confidence and promises, what if he failed his future family?

He needed some air. He carefully got out of bed, trying not to wake the angel sleeping beside him, and opened the window. He let the cool night air wash over him as he tried to overcome his doubts. He was startled out of his reverie by a pair of arms snaking about his waist. "Are you okay Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, obviously sensing Naruto's discomfort. "I'm just afraid of letting you and our child down Hina-chan. I never had a father, so I'm not sure how to go about this." He turned around and embraced the other half of his being. "I'm gonna try my hardest though. I'm gonna be a husband and father you can be proud of, and when I become hokage I'm gonna make sure that no more kids have to live without a family. I'll adopt them all if I have to!" Hinata giggled in his arms, his antics never ceasing to make her laugh. No one else could bounce from uncertainty to utter confidence like her Naruto. It was one of the things about him she fell in love with. "Well, it sounds like you have plans for a big family Naruto-kun. Maybe you should get some sleep before you go about adopting all the children of Konoha." Naruto kissed her as she led him back to bed.

End Part 4


	5. Party Time!

Disclaimer: Not mine, you know the drill.

For Always

Part Five: Party Time!

It was a nice June evening in Konoha. Hinata, Ino, Sakura, Tenten, and Temari were sitting in Sakura's house drinking punch and talking about boys, clothes, make-up, and other girl-talk. They left their kunoichi statuses at the door.

"Well, Shika-kun may act lazy and stuff, but I swear he saves his energy for lights out." There was a round of giggles and blushes at Ino's blunt statement. "What about you Sakura-chan," the blonde Yamanaka asked. "How's Lee-kun treating you?" "He's actually not that bad when we're alone. Once you get him away from that maniac of a sensei, he calms down considerably. Well, he does now. A few times getting plastered to a wall does that to people. Well, except Naruto-kun, but he's a special case."

There was a sharp knock at the door. "Yes! Take-out is here!" Sakura hopped up and hurriedly opened the door. An ANBU was standing there. "Is Hyuga Hinata-sama here?" he demanded as he strode in. Hinata stood up shakily. "I am sir. What's the problem?" Hinata became worried. She was told by Kakashi that Naruto would be leaving for a mission a little earlier that night and that she should spend time with her friends while he was out. He was to return by morning. She was deathly afraid something had happened to him, but sending an ANBU to tell her that? Something else must be going on.

"Hyuga-sama, you are in violation of code NCC-1701-D." "I've never heard of-" Sakura began. "The ANBU silenced her and continued. "Code NCC-1701-D, Participating in a Party Without Proper Entertainment." Ino cued the music. Hinata realized what was going on when the 'ANBU' started dancing and removing his clothes. "Hope you enjoy the show Hinata-chan," Ino told the crimson Hyuga as the stripper worked his craft.

-ooo-

Meanwhile, across town Naruto (who wasn't actually on a mission) was sitting around with Shikamaru, Rock Lee, Gaara, Kiba, and Kakashi talking guy stuff including, but not limited to, new jutsus, shuriken and kunai throwing strategies, tactics, and girls.

Well, the younger shinobi were trying to talk. Kakashi had decided to read a choice passage from his favorite volume of _Icha Icha Paradise. _"…and the maid let forth a moan as soft as a gentle night breeze holding aloft a sakura petal as her lover… Oh bother, just as it was getting good." Kakashi sighed as a knock at the door interrupted his recital. He read the rest to himself as Naruto answered the door insanely pleased to not have to listen to his perverted sensei anymore.

"Eh, Tsunade-oba chan? What are you doing here?" he asked of the Godaime. Rock Lee looked at her, his face red with guilt and other thoughts as Kakashi's words echoed throughout his head. When he realized his eyes had drifted to Tsunade's ample bosom he squeaked and ran out muttering something about impure thoughts and restoring his fire of youth. They heard a few of those insane tasks he set for himself as he raced into the night.

"I'm here for the party Naruto-kun." She answered The others looked on in wonder as the hokage perused Naruto's music selection. Shikamaru wondered why she didn't try to kill Naruto for the granny remark, but decided to wait and see what happened. Kakashi was here after all.

"No. No. That's no good… ah, here we are." She grabbed the CD and put it into Naruto's stereo. She had quite a few stares aimed her way. Haddaway's _What is Love_ sounded out of the speakers.

Their stares only intensified as she started swaying to the music. Kakashi leaned back to enjoy the show. The kazekage muttered something about the unprofessional attitude of Konoha's leaders. Kiba gawked. Shikamaru muttered his patented 'How troublesome'. Naruto passed out when she took off her shirt.

-ooo-

Naruto opened his eyes to see a grinning Jiraiya in his face. "AHHH!" Panting Naruto tried to slow his heartbeat. "You tryin to give me a heart attack ero-sennin!" The frog hermit kept grinning. "How'd ya like the party brat?"

Naruto glared at him. "It was fine until Tsunade-oba chan showed up and…" He paled as he remembered what happened. "AHHH! What the hell was she thinking? Has she finally drank herself to insanity?" Jiraiya couldn't keep his mirth contained any longer. He broke into fits of laughter as he fell on his rear.

"What's so funny ero-sennin? Tsunade-oba chan has lost her mind! We need to find her and find a way to fix her!" The old man managed to restrain himself. "It was a henge." Naruto stared at him blankly. "What?" "It was a henge Naruto. That wasn't really Tsunade. It was a stripper using Henge no Jutsu.

His next laughing fit came to a quick end as the pissed demon vessel beat the lights out of him. He left to find Hinata, hoping the super pervert didn't do anything to her sleep over at Sakura's.

-ooo-

Naruto and Hinata sat in silence, too embarrassed to talk about their respective nights. Hinata had asked him about his mission, to which he knew nothing about. They had quickly assumed it was a conspiracy between Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Ino. They eventually decided to try and forget about certain events. If that was at all possible.

End Part Five


	6. Wedding Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I think I'm gonna cry…

For Always

A/N: I don't know much about weddings, customs, or even terminology so this may be completely inaccurate. Please bear with me.

Part Six: Wedding Night

The day had finally arrived. Naruto stood in his dressing room with his men of honor, Kakashi, Gaara, and Neji, and his best man, Iruka.

He was dressed in a black tuxedo with a deep sage sash and tie. The others were clothed to match. None wore their hitai-ates. Gaara was going to leave his gourd behind, and Kakashi had promised to leave his books at home. It was also one of the few times Naruto was visibly nervous.

"I've been waiting for this day for months, so why is my stomach flipping!" Iruka placed a comforting hand on the groom's shoulder. "It's okay Naruto. It's perfectly natural to be nervous on your wedding night." Naruto glared at him. "Have you ever been married?" Iruka shook his head. "Than how would you know!" Kakashi stepped forward. "Calm down Naruto. You don't want to upset your bride, do you?" Kakashi's words had an instant effect. "Oh." Thoughts of Hinata played across his mind like a soothing mantra. It was all he needed. His stomach stopped it's acrobatics as he calmed.

Meanwhile, Hinata had worries of her own. She hadn't seen her father in a couple months, and still didn't know if he approved of the wedding or not. She didn't think he would. Sakura noticed the upset look in her eyes while she was applying her eye shadow.

"What's wrong Hinata-chan? Having second thoughts?" Tenten and Kurenai stopped styling her hair to help comfort her, if need be. Hinata smiled slightly. "No. I'm marrying my Naruto-kun and nothing will stop me. I'm just worried how Father will take it." Sakura tried to cheer her up. "Don't worry about it. If he hasn't said anything about it, maybe he doesn't mind. Besides, Just think about your future with Naruto-kun!"

Hinata did. She knew having a child so young would be difficult, but she didn't care. She was a kunzite, and a strong woman. With Naruto by her side she would overcome anything. Her thoughts drifted to life with her husband and son. Naruto's face as he changed a diaper was something she was looking forward to. She smiled at the thought. The pride she imagined he would have at the child's first steps almost brought a tear to her eye. She could just hear it. '_See that Hina-chan! Already walkin! What else should you expect from the future hokage's son! He'll be throwin kunai better than me in a month!' _

Her son. They hadn't decided on a name yet. They still had five months to think of one. Thoughts of what her life could be filled her with warmth and light. "That's it," she said happily. "Hikaru." The other women looked at her. "What was that Hinata-chan?" Kurenai asked her. "My son's name is Hikaru."

Tsunade walked into the room shortly afterward. "Hinata? There's someone here to see you." The young Hyuga looked up to see Hyuga Hiashi walk into the room. "Father! I didn't think you would come." She sat there stunned. Hiashi looked deep into his daughter's eyes before he spoke again. "I had to Hinata. I owe you too much not to." He suddenly looked very weary. "I have a lot to answer for. When your mother died I made myself hard, to try to block the pain of losing her. I became too hard. I didn't realize that I was about to lose you as well. It took a could talk from Tsunade-sama to make me realize it. When she told me about your relationship with Naruto, and that you were leaving home, I realized how bad of a mistake I made. I left for a private cottage in the mountains and properly mourned for your mother and reflect on my misdeeds. I hope to start making amends for my grievances to you and your sister, and I hope to one day earn your forgiveness." Hiashi then did something now one ever thought to see the once proud Hyuga do. He got on his knees before his daughter. "Please let me try to make things right." Hinata did the only thing she could. She embraced her father, her eyes full of tears. "I love you Father…" she said through choking sobs. "I forgive you…"

-ooo-

Naruto stood before the minister waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle to join him. He snapped out of his daydream when the pianist started playing. Hyuga Hanabi walked in first, trailing rose petals behind her. He saw Hinata come around the door on the arm of Hiashi. His heart jumped into his throat double time. The fact that the Hyuga patriarch was here was a little worrisome to the energetic young man, but the sight of Hinata in her bridal gown took over his entire attention. Nothing else seemed to exist for him as she walked down the aisle.

When the joined Naruto at the alter Hiashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and smiled before stepping aside. Naruto lifted his bride's veil and was stunned by her radiance all over again. Surly he was about to be wed to an angel! He was so distracted by her beauty that he missed most of the ceremony.

A tap on his shoulder brought him back to the present. "Huh?" he said looking at Iruka. "Your vows boy, your vows. Hop to it!" the chuunin whispered. A sheepish grin came over Naruto's face. He hurriedly reached into his pocket for his vows. "I'm not too good with writing speeches or anything, so I wrote a poem. It may go against tradition, but hey, that's what I'm best at!" He cleared his throat and began.

_Darkness filled my soul_

_I lost all my light._

_What can fill this hole?_

_What can bring me life?_

_People looked at me,_

_Their eyes filled with hate._

_Yet when you are near_

_All my pain abates._

_To the world I'm just one being_

_But I'm your world and seem_

_Just beyond your reach_

_And I'm too blind to see._

_Why does your presence soothe?_

_Why do you seem to shine?_

_Could it be the truth_

_That you are my light?_

_You seem to fill in_

_The void within me._

_You spark the light within_

_Forcing night to flee_

_T__o the world I'm just one being._

_I'm your world and now it seems_

_Your within my arms_

_And you are all I need._

Naruto finished and looked into Hinata's tear filled eyes. "I love you Hinata-chan. You brought me a happiness I never knew existed. You're my other half, my missing piece. I will never leave you. I'll be with you, for always." He slipped the ring on her finger as he said these words. The minister motioned for Hinata to read hers.

"Naruto-kun. I've watched you a lot over the years, never having the courage to approach you. You were my inspiration. I drew my courage from you. Whenever I felt lost or alone, I thought of you and it warmed my heart. I promised my self that I would change. I promised I would be strong like you so that one day, I could help you like you helped me. I managed to live up to that promise. I grew into a strong woman, and I the time did come where I would help you through a dark time. I lived up to that promise, and I stand here to make another. I will love you for always, and I will never leave you, lest death take me." She placed the ring on his finger.

The minister nodded. "Uzumaki Naruto, do you take Hyuga Hinata to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and health, for better or worse till death do you part?" "I do." "Hyuga Hinata, do you take Uzumaki Naruto to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and health, for better or worse till death do you part?" "I do." "Well, by the power vested in me by the Country of Fire and The Village Hidden in the Leaves, I now pronounce you Man and Wife. You may kiss your bride." Naruto didn't need to be told twice.

End Part 6


	7. Epilogue: New Life

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

For Always

Epilogue: New Life

Naruto held his wife's hand as she went into labor. He was going to stay and support Hinata for however long it took. He silently hoped it would be over quick. Hinata vice-like grip on his hand was taking it's toll. Even with the accelerated healing the Kyubi's chakra gave him, he didn't think his hand could hold up to the abuse much longer.

"Come on honey breathe, just like we practiced," he said in a soothing voice. "I AM breathing!" He really, really hoped it wouldn't take too much longer. He didn't like this raving woman his wife had become. Wasn't childbirth supposed to be the most beautiful experience a woman could have?

Instead of the tears and joy he was expecting, he got glares and death threats. Apparently the whole situation was his fault and he was going to die for it. He was starting to wonder.

He got another 'I'm going to kill you for doing this to me' and he was fed up. "It takes two people for this you know!" He realized keeping his mouth shut would have been the right response to it all when his hand snapped under the enraged squeeze of his wife's grip. He was right. He couldn't take much more. He blacked out.

-ooo-

A foul smell woke him up. He opened his eyes to see a nurse pull back some smelling salts from under his nose. "Would you like to see your son now?" Naruto jumped up immediately and looked at the clock. "How long was I out?" "About twenty minutes. Your son was born ten minutes ago." It was 11:55 PM. It was December 4th. He walked over to where Hinata was lying with Hikaru in her arms. "Look Hikaru, your daddy finally decided to join us," she said with a grin. She held Hikaru out for Naruto. He took his son with such delicacy that Hinata laughed. "It's okay Naruto-kun. You won't break him." Naruto wasn't so sure. Hikaru seemed as fragile as a crystal glass. While he had doubts about his ability to hold his son, he knew without question that he would love him for as long as he drew breath. He looked at his sleeping son and cried.

-ooo-

"Hey Dad! I did it! I passed the genin exams!" Naruto jumped up cheering. "That's my boy! And only nine years old! I wish Sasuke-teme could have seen this. He would have been pissed!" He looked into his sons milky white eyes with pride, his new hitai-ate resting on his forehead in place of the goggles he had worn, so much like the ones his father had all those years ago. "You keep this up and you may get to be hokage before I do!"

Hikaru grinned. "So, I passed on my first try. You gonna teach me that ultimate jutsu like you promised?" Naruto nodded. "A promise is a promise. Watch closely, Sexy no Ju-" Naruto fell over as a frying pan collided with the back of his head.

"I will not have you teaching our son that jutsu Naruto-kun." "Aw, but Mom! We had a deal! If I passed the genin exams on my first try, he'd teach me the ultimate jutsu!" "Yes, well your father and I will have a talk about that. You'll get your jutsu just as soon as we agree on which one. Maybe the Kage Bunshin or Rasengan, but I won't allow _that_ jutsu to spread." Hikaru forgot all about the technique his father was about to perform. "I can learn the Rasengan! Wait till the guys hear about this!" Hikaru ran off happily to find his friends.

Naruto walked over to Hinata rubbing the back of his head. "You didn't have to throw a frying pan you know." Hinata smiled. "I know. Maybe I'll make it up to you tonight," she said with a mischievous sparkle in her eye. "Now go get cleaned up. Tsunade-sama will be over for dinner soon. She's retireing soon so if you want the job, you better start impressing people." Naruto sighed. "Alright, alright."

Naruto went to shower, thoughts drifting. His son was a genin in record time, Tsunade was soon retiring and a new hokage would be chosen. He and Hinata where considering having another child. So much had changed over the years, and so much change was coming.

The winds of time never cease.

The End


End file.
